Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1887-12-02
TOM HEMPER'S ESCAPE.

lUM HEMPERN ENCAPE.
The wonderful providence that saved
old Tom Hemper from the vengeance of
the Comanche Indians fifteen or sixteen
years ago has been discussed in many a
western fort and around many hunters
camp fire. That his adventures were
true in every particular can be vouched
for by dozen living persons today, though
old Tom himself was wiped out dozen
years ago. He was a scout, hunter and
guide, and he took a party of amateur
hunters and sportsmen from Santa Fe
down the Canadian river into Texas and
the land of the Comanches. The party
mum bered twenty-five men, some of them
being English tourists, and they were I'M
disturbed for two weeks after getting
down to what is called the great elbow of
the Canadian. Then Indian signs became
very fresh, and one morning old Tom
started out on a scout. Two other old
hunters with the party remained in
camp.
The Canadian runs alongside of a noun
tain range for several hundred miles, and
this range is broken with many small val
leys and creeks. Tom went to the east as
he left camp, keeping between the foot
hills and the river. He was on foot and
alert, but after walk of an hour he dis
covered no signs, and had to conclude that
the Indians had approached from the other
direction. Just as he was on the point of
turning back he found spring of ice cold
water, and had to lie down on his stomach
to reach it and satisfy his thirst. He was
drinking when something alighted on his
back His first thought was that it was
panther, but next instant he saw the
leggings of red skin and knew that he
was prisoner. When pulled to his feet
he found himself in the presence of three
COmanches, who were out after game.
His great surprise seemed to please them
immensely, but they offered him no vio-
lence whatever. He was first disarmed,
his hands then tied behind his back, aud
the Indians gave him to understand that
he was to accompany them to their village.
While there was no Indian war at that
time, the savages were hostile to any and
all white -uen who invaded their domain,
and old Tom swiftly realized that he was
in q bad scrape. He could speak and
understood the Comanche dialect with per-
feet ease, but this fact he kept to himself.
AS they moved away one of his captors
said:
HE is an old hunter, and we shall have
q good time burning him. He is probably
the leader of the party belowp
1--WE went out after deer and captured
a white man. laughed the one addressed.
'Keep your eyes on him, for he is evil
IDENTIFY as brave as a bear and as strong as
horse.''
The prisoner was conducted about three
miles up the river and a mile toxthe east,
at which point a Comanche village was
located. 1t was in. a valley about three
miles long and mile wide, and contained
sixty or seventy lodges. Nearly all the
warriors of the village were away watch
ing the white party, but as soon as the
prisoner entered the village messenger
was dispatched to bring them in. Before
noon all had returned, and there was
great rejoicing over the capture of the
hunter. The head chief of the tribe was
expected at the camp on the morrow, and
it was decided not to do anything with the
prisoner until his arrival.
Tom was showed into lodge and three
warriors placed on guard over him. While
they evidently feared him, they at the
same time wanted to keep him fresh and
strong for the ''fun'' next day, and they
therefore gave him plenty to eat and
drink and did not even tie his hands. He
realized what was in store for him if he
could not make his escape, but any at
tempt to take French leave with three
warriors on guard would have been his
death. Every five or six minutes one of
them looked into the lodge, and until a
late hour of the night the whole populace
were on the move and helping to keep
watch. All thoughts of attacking the
party below were given up for the time
being, and every one looked forward to a
fine entertainment on the morrow. Tom
heard the fends discussing in what ways
they should torture him. One of the
guards said that he had seen white man
hung up to a limb with a stick thrust
through the bones of his legs, as the
farmer hangs up a slaughtered hog, and
that he lived for half day. One wanted
to skin him alive, another believed in a
slow fire, and almost every one who came
up had suggestion to make. TWAS con-
Guided that he would die game, and that
his equal had not been captured for years.
''Seeing there was no chance of escape
just then," said Old Tom, II made up my
mind there was no use fretting over the
case, and l took things easy. l ate hear
tily, and about 10 o'clock at night turned
in and slept like a brick until after day
light l intended to take advantage of the
very first opening, and knew that would
not come before I was led out in the
morning. Where they set out to have a
regular holiday over prisoner, running
the gauntlet is always the first thing in
order, and it offers the only opportunity to
bolt''
It was 8 O'Clock next morning before
the big chief and his staff arrived, and an
hour later the prisoner was brought out.
The warriors had arranged themselves in
two lines, and were armed with clubs and
switches. Old Tom was taken to the head
of the lines, and a warrior who could
speak little English made him under
stand that he was to run to the foot of the
line and return, and that if he ran fast
and strong he would be set at liberty on
his return. This was all stuff, of course,
but it is always given out to every pris-
oner to encourage him. The chief called
out to the men not to hit the prisoner too
hard, and all was ready for the start.
Tom intended to wheel square about and
run for the river. There was not one
chance in thousand for him, but he pre-
ferred death by the bullet to death by
torture. He was even bracing himself for
his run when there were shouts of alarm
all around him, and he saw two Indian
bows coming down the valley on horse.
hack making Sims as they came. Tom
was hurried back to the lodge, the village
was all excitement, and in five minutes
fifty warriors were riding up the valley.
Tom figured that some of his party were
scouting around to learn his fate, and that
they had come into the valley and had
been seen by the village sentinels. This,
as was afterward ascertained, was the cor
rect supposition.
The Indians did not return until 5
o'clock in the afternoon. AT about old
Tom was brought out again, and this time
he was tied to stake. For some reason
the redskins had decided to spare him the
gauntlet. This was from no feeling of
mercy, of course, but their long ride had
probably tired them out.
'There was no possible show for me to
make break said the old man. II was